Improvement in horse-rakes



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J. BADGER.

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IMPROVEMENT in HORSE-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. ildhi, dated November 16, 1875; application filed To au whomrit may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BADGER, ot' Belvidere, Boone county, Illinois, have invented a Horse Hay-Rake, of which the following is a specification:

This 'invention has relation to horse hayrakes which are so constructed that the draft of the horse is utilized for raising the raketeeth and discharging the gathered loads; and the nature of my invention consists, mainly, in

- 'novel devices for enabling the driver, while sitting in his seat, to cause the pull ot' the horse to tilt forward the axle and raise the rake-teeth, at the same time` depressing the clearing-teeth and discharging the gathered load, as will be 'hereinafter explained.

The invention further consists in a combination of levers worked by hand, by which the 4rake-teeth can be locked and unlocked with `applied to the back of the axle ot' the two transporting-wheels, as will be hereafter explained.

The invention further consists in combining a spring with a tilting axle, 'when so applied that it will assist in returning the teeth to a raking position after the `discharge of each load, as will be hereafter explained.

' The invention further consists in the attachment of a small lever to one member ot the combination locking-lever, whereby said meinber can, by means of a slot made therein, be lengthened or shortened at will on its fulcrnm or point of attachment, so as to cause the teeth of the rake to be adjusted to slight inequalities of the ground, or variances in the crop sought to be raked, without lifting the combination-lever ont of lock, as will be hereafter explained.

In the annexed drawings, Figure lis a rear view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are de- Septi mber 27, 1875.

tail views, showing the devices for attaching the rake-teeth to the rake-head. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are detail views.

A designates iche axle of two transportingwheels, B B, and C C are the thills, which are suitably hinged to the top of the axle A at a, a, and which are connected together by cross-bars b b', properly braced. At the rear ends and lower sides of the thills, blocks c are rigidly secured, to which a horizontal transverse head, D, is secured, into which clearingteeth d are fixed, which extend back beneath the axle A, for the purpose of clearing the rake teeth when these teeth are thrown up, as will be hereinafter explained.

E designates the drivers seat, the standard ot' which is` secured to the cross-bar b( of the thills, and extends upward and backward over the axle A, alongside of a compound lever used for locking the rake-teeth down to their work, and i'or unlocking the same and raising the rake-teeth to discharge the load, and also a. hand-lever, F, which can be used for the same purpose. The hand-leverF is pivoted to a piece, e, so that lateral vibration can be Vgiven to it, which piece articulates forward and backward on a staple fixed to the top of the axle. The hand-lever F is thus allowed to receive a forward as well as a backward motion. This lever F is connected by two rods, ff, to the rear extremities of two shortieveic, g g, pivoted to plates on top of, and near, the extremities of the axle A, on the front ends of which levers friction-rollers k h' are applied, which, when they are caused to bear hard against circular plates i i on the inside of wheels B B, will cause the axle to be tilted forward by the draft of the horse, thus raising the rake-teeth J and depressing theclearin g-teeth d and discharging the load.

The compound lever above referred to for locking the rake-teeth down to their work, and for unlocking the same to discharge the load, consists of a connecting-rod, j, link k, arm 7a', and a standard, l, which latter is secured to the cross-bar b' of the thills, and has the rod j pivoted to it in a slot in said rod j. Said rod j is connected in its rear portion by the link la to the arm lo', which is xed to the top ofthe axle. Said rod j has a number of perforations through it for the connection 4of the link kfat different points, for the purpose of adjusting 'the rake-teeth when in working position to run higher or lower, according to the height of the horse or thecondition of the crop. The rodj has also a small longitudinal slot, y, through which the pivotpin y passes, which secures it to the standard l, allowing a slight degree of longitudinal motion, which motion is fixed and regulated by a short double lever, consisting of herr? lever 'I'. pivoted at its extremity to the rod'j', and an arm, t, pivoted near the endy of said lever T, and fastened at its other extremity tothe pivot-pin of the standard l, for

the purpose of slightly raising or lowering the rake-teeth without unlocking the combinationlever, which locks and unlocks the same. 'Ihe rod j has a curved handle, n, secured to it, by means of which the driver can conveniently adjust the parts in the position indicated in Fig 6, and to aid in this ad'ustment I employ a spring, m, which acts on the arm la', and lwhich is secured to a staple on the bottom of the cross-bar b of the thills. The handle n is also used for lifting the rod j above the center of motion, and thus releasing the lock and lifting up the rake-teeth. Each one ofthe rake-teeth J has a spring-coil, p, formed on one end, whichv terminates 'in a hooking end, p. The spring p consists of one or more coils, which extend through a slot, s, in a plate, s',

fixed to the axle A, and receive through them a'key-rod, N. The hook p passes through the slot in. plates', a. d catches over a lip, r, in the latter, which, with the key-rod N, rigidly holds the rake-tooth to the axle. All of the raketeeth are confined to the axle, as above described, a lsingle key-rod, N, serving for all of them, by removing which any one or more of lthe teeth can be detached from the axle.

In addition to the mode of releasing the lock of the compound lever heretofore described by raising the handle n, the same effect can be produced, when the driver desires to discharge the gathered load, by using the hand-lever F, and for this purpose said handlever F is constructed with a horn, g, which, when said hand-lever F is moved to the left, will lift the rod j out of lock, and allow the rake-teeth to be raised automatically, as above Y described.

The machine is perfect for use without the system of levers, rods, and friction-wheels put .in motion by the use of hand-lever F; but by the use of such system there is less labor done bythe driver and more by the horse, so as to appro-ach more y:nearly thecharacter'of van 'aib )to atie machine.

1 o the bottom side of the axle A I secure a 'gli rd, P, which is a thin strip that extends ouy beyond the axle and beneath the springcoi s p, and preventsgrass from becoming entangled with or 'in the coils.

I claimy 1. In ahorse'hay-rake mounted on two transporting-wheels, the thills C C, hinged to the top of the axle, in combination with a compound locking-lever forholding down. or raising,the lock-teeth at will, to be operated by a 'tripping-lever, F, for releasing this lockinglever when it is desired to discharge a gathered load, substantially as described.

2. In combination 'with fan axle carrying rake-teeth, and having ltheAdraft-thills hinged to its u'pper'side, the'lever F, connecting-rods f f, levers'carryin g friction-rollers h h, and the plates i z on transporting-wheels B B,"sub stantially as described. l

3. In combinationwi'th the locki'ng-leverj, formed with a longitudinal slot where ,the same vis attached 'tothe standard al, the double lever 'I and t, to produce a slight lengthen-in g or shortening 'of said rod j, andthus slightly raise or lower the vra'ke-'teet-h J withoutthrowing the locking-'lever out of lock.

4. The spring 'mon the -thill-fra'me, in comlever, substantially as described.

5. The hand-lever `F,piv'oted to a hinged piece, e, for allowing a forward, backward, and lateral 'vibration thereof, in combinationy with the oscillating rake-head A, having thills U pivoted to it, as described. c

6. The guard-'plate P, rigidly secured tothe under face'of the rake-head, in combination with the curved teeth J, provided with coils p immediately over the guard-plate, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination 'with the spring-coils p and hooks p on teeth J, the plates s', slotted and lipped as described, and the removable key-rod N, for holding the'teeth in their places, substantially as describe( .l

In testimony that I claim lthe above and foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name inthe presenceof two witnesses.

4 JOHN BADGER. Witnesses:

GEO. H. HUR'LBUT, A. E. JENNER. 

